Is Thailand still a Third World Country?

[Jim walker]

Yes still a third world country Thailand cant look after its people with any deference children lack a good free education and the elderly basically have to work until they drop or rely on the village head man giving you a thousand baht to survive very basically for a month, no proper law enforcement throughout the country and no rule of law judges can still be bought for a handful of silver so a very feudal type of life for poor country people in Thailand rich can do what they like to whom they like and poor can just work in the fields and keep their heads down and say yes please and thank you rich master, a bit like 13th century Europe. Run by the military with the biggest army.

[elgordo38]

'Third World' is obsolete. The United Nations replaced it with 'developing country' a long time ago.

Yes developing is right but developing into what that is the question. Great place for the ladies drinking beer and enjoying yourself beyond that well who cares.

[ChrisKC]

Some people think Thailand is a Third World Country. It isn’t! Irrespective of my findings or yours about Thailand and its people, we shouldn’t readily say it is because it is Third World. In many ways, good, bad and indifferent, Thailand is 50 years behind the West but it cannot be compared with acknowledged Third Worlders like many African or South American countries. This Country’s emerging economy (especially since 1997), Democratic Government (a bit unstable though it is), general infrastructure: roads, airports, telecommunications, railways and local amenities, hospitals and public utilities and so on are well established and delivering consistent reasonable quality services, both urban and rural. The education system needs improvement but is available to just about all Thais. Literacy in Thailand is around 95%.

[bapoboy]

so all EU member countries are third world because there are now democrasy in EU?

at least in thailand we have freedom not a nannystate where the goverment tell you what to do all the time

Edited August 24, 2015 by bapoboy

[hawker9000]

'Third World' is obsolete. The United Nations replaced it with 'developing country' a long time ago.

"The United Nations replaced it with 'developing country' a long time ago."

Who cares about a UN euphemism? 'Cannot imagine a more irrelevant or impotent reason for anything. UN attempts at self-importance and pretended relevance are so lame. Anyway, 'Third World' is still obviously widely used, but has taken on a negativism that really wasn't quite part of the original meaning. It was invented during the Cold War to refer to nations which were aligned neither with the U.S. & Western Europe & some of their Allies ('First World') or the USSR & Soviet Bloc ('Second World'). But almost from the start the common association has been with countries less "advanced" than even the communist (or formerly communist) world.

[Torrens54]

Yes is it. For many reasons.

Roads and traffic

Look at any utility power pole its a mess of cables and almost always overloaded

Bureaucracy

Food storage - just look at how meat is presented at any market

Building standard or lack theroff

General workmanship on anything is poor, good work is the exception not the norm

In terms of sales, service or anything involving work people are reactive and not proactive

There thats a start.

I still like it here though

Agree with the above. Would also add to the list, the need to Re-introduce an AFFORDABLE Health Insurance Scheme for the Long Suffering Ferang who week after week tip huge amounts of CASH into the Economy and get ZIP Back for their trouble.

[nidieunimaitre]

Watch this video, straight from the third world

[lostoday]

You will find that Thailands car plants are Assembly Plants, the parts are not actually manufactured here, doesn't take rocket science to assemble a car, mostly done by robots nowadays. It's a way round the high I import taxes, the reason why Nissan opened a plant, Assembly in the UK to get round EU rules.

Manufacturing Hard Drives is not a manual procedure either.

At the end of the day the majority of jobs in Thailand are manual, clothing industry, tourist industry and farming, think Thailand is on of the biggest rice exporters in the Far East.

80% of the parts used to assemble the cars are manufactured in Thailand source Ford Motor company Thailand.

GDP - composition, by sector of origin:

agriculture: 12.1%

industry: 43.6%

services: 44.2% (2013 est.)

[NoshowJones]

Yes I am. I thought that was the way it was. I was speaking to a well educated Farang,

The colour of her skin was in what way important to the thread?

What was her nationality, Thai, Polish French, English, etc.?

Where was she educated and to what level?

For all we know she was a redneck hillbilly from Alabama

Sorry, I don't automatically assume white girls are experts, just because they're white!

I believe she was a buck-toothed hoofer from Sussex.

What about a loudmouth from Yorkshire?

[NoshowJones]

You're just projecting your own state of affairs and mentality. No more, no less.

3rd World mentality, not even a developing one.

If this wasn't your own personal problem, you'd have never asked the question. It is ignorant and arogant. angry.

Have a nice day, read a book.

Yes, the OP sounds unhappy.

I am very happy thank you.

[NoshowJones]

"in most cases, the Thai mentality is very low"

"Please don't turn this into a Thai bashing topic"

Possum 1931, didn't you just do that?

No, go back and read my posts.

[kovaltech]

OP, you didnt want a Thai bashing... sorry if i understand you wrong but...

"Also, although the Thais are decent, honest, and helpful people in most cases, I also have to say that again

in most cases, the Thai mentality is very low, from both the well educated to the working class."

i call the part of the Thai mentality Thai bashing...

Spending more then ten years in Thailand, my observation would be, yeah a long way to go before they reach your level, but would that be the preferred level to be at ?

I have seen many good things here in Thailand, basic social skills we already lost long time ago.

Where it does go wrong ?

They try to copy our lifestyle... They try to be you...

So please, adjust yourself before adjusting others...

[NoshowJones]

Some people think Thailand is a Third World Country. It isn’t! Irrespective of my findings or yours about Thailand and its people, we shouldn’t readily say it is because it is Third World. In many ways, good, bad and indifferent, Thailand is 50 years behind the West but it cannot be compared with acknowledged Third Worlders like many African or South American countries. This Country’s emerging economy (especially since 1997), Democratic Government (a bit unstable though it is), general infrastructure: roads, airports, telecommunications, railways and local amenities, hospitals and public utilities and so on are well established and delivering consistent reasonable quality services, both urban and rural. The education system needs improvement but is available to just about all Thais. Literacy in Thailand is around 95%.

Good post. There is a lot of good about Thailand, just a pity they can't or won't do anything about the dreadful road fatalities, and poor education.

[NoshowJones]

Watch this video, straight from the third world

Yeah Yorkshire, land of the loudmouths.

[Keesters]

The status of the country and the people are not the same. While the country has developed better highways the people have yet to learn how to drive on them safely. While the nation is going digital TV the quality of programming by the people is still appalling. While the country is supposed to be democratic the people that have formed governments are largely corrupt.

So while the country may well be 'newly industrialized', the people are still 'underdeveloped'.

[NoshowJones]

OP, you didnt want a Thai bashing... sorry if i understand you wrong but...

"Also, although the Thais are decent, honest, and helpful people in most cases, I also have to say that again

in most cases, the Thai mentality is very low, from both the well educated to the working class."

i call the part of the Thai mentality Thai bashing...

Spending more then ten years in Thailand, my observation would be, yeah a long way to go before they reach your level, but would that be the preferred level to be at ?

I have seen many good things here in Thailand, basic social skills we already lost long time ago.

Where it does go wrong ?

They try to copy our lifestyle... They try to be you...

So please, adjust yourself before adjusting others...

Have you ever driven or rode a motorbike on Thai roads? Much as I would like to, I just cannot praise the Thai peoples mentality, so awa an gies peace.

[oneday]

OK Mr Lostoday, I'm glad you like me, but I did not say everyone in Thailand had a low mentality, what I said was the majority of the Thai people have a low mentality, and I'm going to stand by that.

I will put it another way IMO, about 70% of the Thai people have a low mentality. just look at the driving and riding for an example.

Also my wife is just the same as you describe your wife, apart maybe from when you say "big girl" you could mean she is tall, or fat. In my case she is tall.

But only because of the horribly poor educational system they have here. When you are born you have the same exact potential as anyone else in the world. If you are unfortunate to live in this country and do not have the resources to get a top flight education then you end up with a disadvantaged people.

[MyFriend You]

Taking everything into consideration, and seeing as I have lived in 37 countries in 45 years, Thailand ranks (for me ) as second world -thrid world countries are abound in Africa and Latin America and Eastern Block - Thailand has come a long long way.........and quite frankly, I like it just the way it is.

As for road traffic deaths - they consistantly rank in the highest category according to WHO per 100,000 people - 38-50 deaths average from road accidents per 100K people. - I don't think that alone drops it down to 'third or fourth world' as some post.

There are sp many things that quantify whether a country is "modern" or not - I like to use the phrase "Thailand is a modern Industrialized country" Third/Fourthworld, if you think Thailand is in that category, you aion't been where I have.

.

[hawker9000]

Some people think Thailand is a Third World Country. It isn’t! Irrespective of my findings or yours about Thailand and its people, we shouldn’t readily say it is because it is Third World. In many ways, good, bad and indifferent, Thailand is 50 years behind the West but it cannot be compared with acknowledged Third Worlders like many African or South American countries. This Country’s emerging economy (especially since 1997), Democratic Government (a bit unstable though it is), general infrastructure: roads, airports, telecommunications, railways and local amenities, hospitals and public utilities and so on are well established and delivering consistent reasonable quality services, both urban and rural. The education system needs improvement but is available to just about all Thais. Literacy in Thailand is around 95%.

Good post. There is a lot of good about Thailand, just a pity they can't or won't do anything about the dreadful road fatalities, and poor education.

and the police,

and corruption,

and the double-standards,

and ...

and ..

and .

It's good to have a positive outlook, but be realistic. And while at one time it might've been approaching First World status, it has regressed and is back in the 3rd world heart-of-the-envelope. ('Not that there aren't Fourth and Fifth World countries lower on the development scale.) I don't think these status phrases really have any formal definition (except perhaps those of wannabe world order regimes like the UN); so it's essentially all a matter of opinion.

[lostoday]

OP, you didnt want a Thai bashing... sorry if i understand you wrong but...

"Also, although the Thais are decent, honest, and helpful people in most cases, I also have to say that again

in most cases, the Thai mentality is very low, from both the well educated to the working class."

i call the part of the Thai mentality Thai bashing...

Spending more then ten years in Thailand, my observation would be, yeah a long way to go before they reach your level, but would that be the preferred level to be at ?

I have seen many good things here in Thailand, basic social skills we already lost long time ago.

Where it does go wrong ?

They try to copy our lifestyle... They try to be you...

So please, adjust yourself before adjusting others...

Have you ever driven or rode a motorbike on Thai roads? Much as I would like to, I just cannot praise the Thai peoples mentality, so awa an gies peace.

I drive on Thai roads every day for the past 10 years. I have found problems in Pattaya and Bangkok and Chiang Mai. I left those places and don't have any problems where I live now.

[NoshowJones]

Some people think Thailand is a Third World Country. It isn’t! Irrespective of my findings or yours about Thailand and its people, we shouldn’t readily say it is because it is Third World. In many ways, good, bad and indifferent, Thailand is 50 years behind the West but it cannot be compared with acknowledged Third Worlders like many African or South American countries. This Country’s emerging economy (especially since 1997), Democratic Government (a bit unstable though it is), general infrastructure: roads, airports, telecommunications, railways and local amenities, hospitals and public utilities and so on are well established and delivering consistent reasonable quality services, both urban and rural. The education system needs improvement but is available to just about all Thais. Literacy in Thailand is around 95%.

Good post. There is a lot of good about Thailand, just a pity they can't or won't do anything about the dreadful road fatalities, and poor education.

and the police,

and corruption,

and the double-standards,

and ...

and ..

and .

It's good to have a positive outlook, but be realistic. And while at one time it might've been approaching First World status, it has regressed and is back in the 3rd world heart-of-the-envelope. ('Not that there aren't Fourth and Fifth World countries lower on the development scale.) I don't think these status phrases really have any formal definition (except perhaps those of wannabe world order regimes like the UN); so it's essentially all a matter of opinion.

You talk a lot of sense, but the good in Thailand far outweighs the bad, where the UK is exactly the opposite. I do not say much about the corruption, but is there any country in the world that is free of corruption?

In terms of the UK government itself, I would say that they are full of corruption, but unlike Thailand, they have the brains to cover it up.

[NoshowJones]

OP, you didnt want a Thai bashing... sorry if i understand you wrong but...

"Also, although the Thais are decent, honest, and helpful people in most cases, I also have to say that again

in most cases, the Thai mentality is very low, from both the well educated to the working class."

i call the part of the Thai mentality Thai bashing...

Spending more then ten years in Thailand, my observation would be, yeah a long way to go before they reach your level, but would that be the preferred level to be at ?

I have seen many good things here in Thailand, basic social skills we already lost long time ago.

Where it does go wrong ?

They try to copy our lifestyle... They try to be you...

So please, adjust yourself before adjusting others...

Have you ever driven or rode a motorbike on Thai roads? Much as I would like to, I just cannot praise the Thai peoples mentality, so awa an gies peace.

I drive on Thai roads every day for the past 10 years. I have found problems in Pattaya and Bangkok and Chiang Mai. I left those places and don't have any problems where I live now.

Well I will assume you are similar to me, I live in a small town upcountry, and the amount of underage motorbike riders is astounding, what sort of mentality do the parents

of these children have? Do you not have that problem where you live?

[lostoday]

OP, you didnt want a Thai bashing... sorry if i understand you wrong but...

"Also, although the Thais are decent, honest, and helpful people in most cases, I also have to say that again

in most cases, the Thai mentality is very low, from both the well educated to the working class."

i call the part of the Thai mentality Thai bashing...

Spending more then ten years in Thailand, my observation would be, yeah a long way to go before they reach your level, but would that be the preferred level to be at ?

I have seen many good things here in Thailand, basic social skills we already lost long time ago.

Where it does go wrong ?

They try to copy our lifestyle... They try to be you...

So please, adjust yourself before adjusting others...

Have you ever driven or rode a motorbike on Thai roads? Much as I would like to, I just cannot praise the Thai peoples mentality, so awa an gies peace.

I drive on Thai roads every day for the past 10 years. I have found problems in Pattaya and Bangkok and Chiang Mai. I left those places and don't have any problems where I live now.

Well I will assume you are similar to me, I live in a small town upcountry, and the amount of underage motorbike riders is astounding, what sort of mentality do the parents

of these children have? Do you not have that problem where you live?

I don't live in a farm area so no. Cops here, so if kids ride they get stopped.

[Anthony5]

Have you ever driven or rode a motorbike on Thai roads? Much as I would like to, I just cannot praise the Thai peoples mentality, so awa an gies peace.

I drive on Thai roads every day for the past 10 years. I have found problems in Pattaya and Bangkok and Chiang Mai. I left those places and don't have any problems where I live now.

Well I will assume you are similar to me, I live in a small town upcountry, and the amount of underage motorbike riders is astounding, what sort of mentality do the parents

of these children have? Do you not have that problem where you live?

I don't live in a farm area so no. Cops here, so if kids ride they get stopped.

Thanks for clarifying that you live in a civilized country, and clearly NOT in Thailand, regarding your remarks about the cops actions.

[lostoday]

I drive on Thai roads every day for the past 10 years. I have found problems in Pattaya and Bangkok and Chiang Mai. I left those places and don't have any problems where I live now.

Well I will assume you are similar to me, I live in a small town upcountry, and the amount of underage motorbike riders is astounding, what sort of mentality do the parents

of these children have? Do you not have that problem where you live?

I don't live in a farm area so no. Cops here, so if kids ride they get stopped.

Thanks for clarifying that you live in a civilized country, and clearly NOT in Thailand, regarding your remarks about the cops actions.

I live in Thailand and have done so since the 1990's

[NoshowJones]

There are police and a police station where I live, see plenty of policemen, but they all ignore the underage riders.

[Anthony5]

Well I will assume you are similar to me, I live in a small town upcountry, and the amount of underage motorbike riders is astounding, what sort of mentality do the parents

of these children have? Do you not have that problem where you live?

I don't live in a farm area so no. Cops here, so if kids ride they get stopped.

Thanks for clarifying that you live in a civilized country, and clearly NOT in Thailand, regarding your remarks about the cops actions.

I live in Thailand and have done so since the 1990's

Clearly a different Thailand than anyone else on this forum, if you say that in your area the cops stop kids on motorbikes.

[lostoday]

Nobody is going to babysit anyone in Thailand. You have to look around a bit. I really liked CM but the smoke killed me so I left. You have to look around a bit. I think the words 3rd world are pejorative but if it helps keep the nanny staters out it's OK with me.

I've lived here a long time and have formed my own support and security networks so I'm fine.

My advice to others is go home. I don't need you. That may sound harsh but I've had nothing but problems with Farang both in Thailand and in the West where they are called natives. I came to Thailand to get away from Farangs and Christmas and people who smelled of cheese.

I actually like threads like this because they scare people away. Perhaps there is that one guy who is just on the verge of trying to live in Thailand and after reading this thread decides to stay home. Good job.

[kovaltech]

There are police and a police station where I live, see plenty of policemen, but they all ignore the underage riders.

Possum, i drive daily and 99% i drive my motorbike, approx 15.000 Km a year.

Why don*t you get of your high horse and adapt yourself to Thai standards instead of bashing on them ?

Its their country, their lifestyle... you*r a guest here, so behave as one or go back to where you came from...

As posted earlier, stop imposing your vision how it should be... You want to change behavior ? start with yourself i would say...

If the police decides here to be wise instead of repressive, its up to them... not up to you...

[NoshowJones]

I think you will find that it is unlikely you will get underage riders in the cities, I never notice them in Phitsanlok, or Nakhon Sawan, but that is not to

say there are not any. But in the small towns and villages, there are plenty.